Thane City teen ends her life after her father asks her not to download Snapchat on her phone. (Deccan Herald, 24 June 2024) Snapchat is a multimedia instant messaging app. Pictures and messages are shared with recipients. It has 293 million users and is popular among those under 16. It is an ardent task for parents to bring up, provide for, and guide children, especially when they are teenagers. Tragically, many parents do not have the skills of effective parenting.
Foundational Parenting: The Bible teaches to teach children in the fear of the Lord and the way of the Lord. Children like sponges soak up everything – good and bad. They often mimic conversations and mannerisms, and sing the same songs parents do. They will learn from someone else if they do not learn from their parents. (Proverbs 22:6) Like Eunice and Lois, the mother and grandmother of Timothy; parents and grandparents should impart biblical values in children. (II Timothy 1:5) Parents’ goal is to help children be loyal to God, the truth revealed in the Bible, and apply them daily.
Guided Parenting: Parents should lay a strong spiritual foundation, and provide directions to use their talents, gifts, call, and purpose in life. They should be taught to make responsible, wise, and best choices. Instead of choosing for teenagers, they should be given authority to make certain decisions, within certain parameters. At this stage, they like to spend more time with friends, online or offline. Helping them to choose friends, and have the right kind of relationships with friends is essential. For the girl who committed suicide, online friends were important, when that was denied, she lost all hope. Instead of a blanket ban, monitored and measured usage of Snapchat should have been the option.
Advisory Parenting: When teenagers become young adults, they should be treated with dignity. Parents could be counselors, consultants, and coaches. They cannot coerce their grown-up children to do what their parents wish. By this age, they know what they sow, they will reap.
Do I understand the importance of Biblical principles of parenting?